This invention is directed to a tool used to wrap a lip on sheet metal around a frame. It is particularly useful in joining an automobile door panel around the door frame.
The technique most commonly used to join a door panel with a door frame is to prepare a lip on the door panel by using a hammer and dolly or hammering block. The lip is formed by striking the edge of the panel with the hammer and using the dolly as a backstop to form the lip at the proper angle. The door frame is then placed against the door panel and the lip is bent around the frame by using the same hammer and dolly. The problem with using this method is that the hammer can leave marks on the door frame or panel as a result of the hammering operation. This is to be avoided if the new door panel is to have as smooth a surface as possible with a minimum amount of finishing. Furthermore, the hammer and dolly method is labor intensive and takes a great deal of time and skill to carefully prepare and complete the job.
The present invention solves the problems of the prior art in that the inventive tool performs the bending and joining operation without the need to continuously hammer and bend the panel lip around the door frame. With this invention, the lip must only be initially bent and then the tool completes the balance of the bending operation. The sheet metal wrapping tool also eliminates the possibility of marring the panel surface with nicks and gouges as often result when using a hammer and dolly. The tool is also easy to use and requires little physical strength in that a ratchet drive is connected to the tool and provides the leverage necessary to supply the driving force with very little effort on the part of the user. Furthermore, there are not any gaps on the lip where the lip fails to make adequate, secure contact with the frame such as can result when using a hammer and dolly.
The inventive tool bends the upstanding lip on a piece of sheet metal around a frame in which the sheet metal and frame each have at least one surface in contact. The operator grasps the tool in one hand and the drive ratchet in his other hand. The tool has a base plate with a smooth surface which contacts one side of the sheet metal and a drive roller connected to the ratchet drive is positioned on the other side of the sheet metal. A guide and bending roller positioned forward of the drive roller initally bends the lip inward a sufficient distance so that the drive roller can easily complete the bending of the lip around the frame. In addition to bending the lip around the frame, the drive roller also moves the tool forward so that the bending process can continue. The tool preferably has another guide roller extending forward from the drive roller to keep the tool moving along the frame and panel in the proper direction and alignment. After the tool has bent the upstanding lip on the panel around the frame, the two units are secured to each other.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clearer from the following detailed description of the invention.